


Pledge me your truth

by Cirkne



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Assassins AU, M/M, Medieval AU, blood and injury mentions, medieval assassin au, some nsfw mentions but not that bad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-08
Updated: 2015-06-08
Packaged: 2018-04-03 11:47:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4099834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cirkne/pseuds/Cirkne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"He hopes that when the night ends, Kei lays down next to him and they sleep, forget about the killing, about gold, forget about everything but each other."</p><p>Medieval assassins au.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pledge me your truth

**Author's Note:**

> Dedicated to Nahhan who spent 3+ hours on skype with me while I was writing this and was the one to send me the prompt in the first place. Also to my wife Whims who loves KuroTsukki so much it's affecting me.
> 
> A special thanks to Ranch who beta'd it.

Tetsurou wakes up to see fire through the opening in the tent and Kei's back a few feet away, covered in the fire's light. He has his head on his knees and his bow next to him. Tetsurou doesn't remember how exactly they started working together. It had something to do with going after the same person and trying to beat each other to it. He was probably the one to reach out to Kei afterwards, to ask if he wants to join him, to help him with his new job. They were better as a team anyways. Kei attacked from distance and Tetsurou worked as a close range fighter.

Even now though, years after they started working together, Tetsurou still isn't sure if they mean anything to one another. He knows Kei means a lot to him. He knows that if they were attacked he'd protect Kei with his life. He doesn't know if Kei would do that for him, though. He's too afraid to ask.

Tetsurou stands up and walks, slowly, quietly until he's standing right behind Kei.

"You're tired," he says, expecting Kei to flinch in surprise but he doesn't. "I'll take it from here."

Kei looks at him, fire reflecting in his eyes.

"I said I'll watch it until dawn," he says, his voice snarkier than usually but also quieter.

"You're tired," Tetsurou repeats himself, softly. "Go to sleep."

"Why do you do that?" Kei asks, suddenly angry and he turns away from Tetsurou to continue "You treat me like a child."

"I don't-"

"You do! You treat me the same way Akiteru used to!" Tetsurou can't see him but he thinks Kei is crying (he does that sometimes, when they haven't slept well in a long time) so he sits down next to him, without touching but close enough for comfort.

"Akiteru," He says quietly, unsure of where he was going with it. Maybe he just wanted to repeat the name, as if he was also apart of Kei's world, as if he knows Akiteru. Maybe, one day he will. Maybe in ten years, if they're both still alive, Kei will forgive his brother for whatever it was that he did and he'll bring Tetsurou to meet him. Tetsurou scoffs at the thought. Why would Kei do that? They're not-

They're not together. Not the way Tetsurou would like to, anyway. That makes him think of Kei's naked back on early mornings when the sun has just started to rise and they're bathing in freezing cold rivers or lakes, their clothes in a pile next to their weapons and Kei complains about Tetsurou staring to which Tetsurou replies that he's making things up but he's not. Tetsurou thinks about Kei eating breakfast in cheap Inn's that they find on their way and his hair messy, his fingers curling around cups of cider. He thinks about waking up to find Tetsurou feeding the horses, keeping his hand for a moment too long on their necks, as if petting them. Tetsurou wants that. He wants calmness and quiet, wants to live in a house with curtains and plants, wants to make breakfast, wants to wake up to Kei's face. It's impossible, even if Kei wanted the same things, people would never allow it.

When Tetsurou looks up, Kei's looking back at him, his eyes wet and tired. Tetsurou wants to hold him, to tell him about the future he wants them to have but instead he leans a little closer, close enough for their shoulders to touch and sighs.

"We should reach a town tomorrow," Tetsurou says. "Then we can both get a good night's sleep and get something to drink and good food. We can rest then."

"We can't rest then," Kei tells him. "We still need to finish our job."

"You should sleep," Tetsurou says because he doesn't know how else to reply and this time Kei listens, stands up to walk to the tent, takes his bow with him. As Kei's walking, his hand brushes Tetsurou's shoulder and until dawn comes, Tetsurou holds onto that moment of closeness.

He wakes Kei up with the sunrise. Kei puts out the fire, gets the tent and hides any evidence of them being there while Tetsurou gets the horses ready.

"It's windy today," Tetsurou says while Kei's getting on his horse. Kei doesn't answer, maybe he doesn't want to talk after the night or maybe he just doesn't wanna talk at all. They travel their way to the town in silence. Tetsurou stops just as they reach it to jump off of his horse and Kei follows him. They lead their horses slowly, Tetsurou smiles at the children who stare at the scar on his cheek and tries to not attract too much attention. It's hard, though. They were never good at blending in when in towns, especially not with Kei's horse. It looks like a horse someone rich would have, part of it being how well Kei takes care of it and the other part it's color. Simple travelers don't usually have completely white horses, it's too much trouble.

They stop once, to ask someone where the nearest Inn is and by the time they reach it, it has already gotten dark. They pay for the room, pretending like they hardly have money for it, just in case anyone decides to rob them and while Kei's ordering them drinks and food, Tetsurou brings their horses into the barn.

He finds Kei already in the room, devouring whatever food he got them.

"Is it any good?" Tetsurou asks sitting down in front of Kei.

"If you wanted good food you shouldn't have become an assassin," Kei answers and pushes Tetsurou's plate to him.

They eat and Kei lets Tetsurou finish his drink before they start getting ready to sleep. There's one more day until they reach their victim.

"What will you do with your share of gold?" Tetsurou asks while he's taking his clothes off.

"What am I supposed to do?" Kei asks back.

"I don't know it's just..." Tetsurou trails off. He doesn't know how to tell Kei he doesn't want to live like this anymore. "With how much we're getting, you could settle down. Find a wife, have a kid."

"Are you going to do that?" Kei asks. Tetsurou's happy Kei has his back to him when he answers.

"I want to." Kei stands up from where he was sitting, looking at the map and walks to his bed for tonight to undress. He doesn't say anything. "Kei?" Tetsurou asks, quietly.

"Go to sleep," Kei answers. "We have to be well rested for your last job."

Tetsurou bites his cheek, tries to pretend that how easily Kei agreed with him leaving doesn't bother him. He gets into bed and turns his back to Kei. Listens to him rustle and undress, fights the urge to look back at him. For a moment of weakness he imagines what it would feel like undressing Kei, how warm his skin would be touching Tetsurou's as they slept next to each other. Then, he raises the covers to his head. Falling asleep is easy, it's been awhile since his muscles could relax and he's still tired after waking up to watch over the night before. In a few seconds, he's sleeping.

Tetsurou doesn't remember what sleeping felt like when he was a kid but it couldn't have felt the way it does now, as if he was laying down for only a minute before there's a hand on his shoulder, letting him know it's morning.

"I fed the horses," Kei says. "Eat fast, we're leaving in a bit." Then, he leaves to get the horses ready. The food's different and it tastes better than yesterday, Tetsurou finishes it in no time and when Kei comes to get him, he's already dressed and ready.

"The food's better," Tetsurou says. "Did you bribe the cook or something?"

"Yeah," Kei answers with no emotion. Tetsurou knows he's joking but he also knows Kei wouldn't spend his money on food, especially on Tetsurou's food and he thinks about other things Kei could have offered the cook about-

Tetsurou rushes out of the room and tries not to think. He passes Kei so that he wouldn't have to look at his back, so that he wouldn't have to look at him at all.

As they leave the town, they pass a church and Tetsurou probably keeps his eyes on it fora moment too long because Kei makes his horse catch up and asks:

"Ever been in one? You know, after you started killing people for a living?"

"That sounds so harsh," Tetsurou jokes and he lets his horse walk slower now so that they could keep conversation.

"Killing people _is_ harsh," Kei tells him, releasing the reins a bit too. "So have you?"

"Once," Tetsurou answers him. "The first time I killed someone."

"Did god forgive you?" Kei jokes but Tetsurou notices that he's looking away from him and away from the church.

"It doesn't matter, does it? Since I never stopped."

"Do you think you'll be forgiven after this, after you stop?" Kei's still not looking at him but he moves his head a little, as if afraid to miss Tetsurou's answer.

"No," he says and then, quieter now. "What will you do?"

"I don't want a wife or a kid," Kei says. "I guess I'll keep killing to get food."

 _Settle down with me,_ Tetsurou thinks.

"Hm," he lets out, sure Kei won't hear him. 

"Have you found her?" Kei asks then. "The one you want to settle down with?"

_Yes._

"I..." he sighs, stops himself from confessing, from ruining everything. "No."

Kei doesn't ask anymore questions, Tetsurou makes his horse go faster again and they don't talk except for when they have to figure out what path to take. They reach a lake just as the sun starts to set and since they're near the location, they decide to stop there.

"Are you getting into the water?" Tetsurou asks when they're leading their horses to it to let them drink.

"No," he answers. "I'll start the fire and put up the tent."

The water's cold but warm enough to stay a little longer. For a second Tetsurou wants to wait for Kei to get in with him but then he realizes it's probably for the best to not look at Kei naked. Not when thoughts of being together have been haunting him the whole day.

He's already sitting by the fire, his washed clothes on tree branches to dry, when Kei gets into the lake. Tetsurou tries not to look but fails and he comforts himself with the fact it's hard to make out anything besides Kei's figure. _For safety,_ he lies to himself, _in case someone attacks him._

"You should sleep," Kei says walking back to the fire. Water drips from his body and falls onto the ground, Tetsurou watches the shapes they make. "I can watch over tonight."

"I should be the one watching over," Tetsurou tells him. "You've been awake for longer." To his surprise, for a second night in a row, Kei doesn't argue, just crawls into the tent. Tetsurou gets his knives from the bag on his horse and sits by the fire. He listens to Kei rustle, watches his silhouette lay down and disappear into where the fire's light doesn't reach him. He thinks of curling up next to Kei and kissing him, thinks about Kei's fingers pressing into his skin, thinks about pressing Kei closer for warmth, thinks about everything but what tomorrow will bring.

When Tetsurou feels like he's about to fall asleep, he wakes Kei up and lays down in his place, hopes the sun doesn't rise and he doesn't have to leave. Hopes that when the night ends, Kei lays down next to him and they sleep, forget about the killing, about money, forget about everything but each other.

They start getting ready while it's still dark, Kei touches Tetsurou's back as he's putting the bag on his horse. Tetsurou tries to ignore how Kei's warmth reaches him through his clothes.

They leave as soon as sun rises, both quiet. They know what's about to happen, they've gone through the plan a thousand times. There's two people with the man who's head has a bounty on it. They're guards and need to be taken out first, best if it's done while they're away from the main target. Then, they kill him. Tetsurou's going to act as a distraction while Kei shoots him. It's simple, easy, they've done it before.

"Good luck," Tetsurou says jumping off of his horse when they reach their location. Kei nods at him and they leave their horses, hide them in the bushes, start walking to where their plan will take place. Tetsurou wants to ask Kei if he has enough arrows, if he remembers their signal, if he still wants to do this but even a whisper would be too loud, too risky, in case someone hears them so he keeps walking. His steps light, almost without any sound.

They reach their location quick and this is the part Tetsurou hates most. They have to separate and Kei will see him but Tetsurou won't be able to see Kei. They've done this so many times, he knows they have, but anxiety floods his body, Tetsurou's afraid. He thinks about Kei telling him that he always treats him like a child and it might be true. He acts as if Kei's fragile, as if he needs to be taken care of when really, Tetsurou needs that. All he wants is to be able to take care of him. He wants-

There's steps. Loud, heavy steps as if whoever is walking thinks this place belongs to them, as if whoever is walking isn't afraid, isn't suspecting. That's good. Tetsurou watches as he reaches the lake, bends down to the water and Kei shoots him. Arrows are a considerably quiet way of killing but Tetsurou hears the split second in which they make sound. You wouldn't think that a way to defend yourself that the royal family is taught, would sound so harsh, so violent.

Kei shoots another arrow, into the man's head this time and Tetsurou watches him bleed. They don't have to wait long until the other guard goes to check and this is when Tetsurou attacks. He stabs his back to make him fall on his knees, covers his mouth and stabs his neck. The man doesn't struggle as much as Tetsurou assumed he would but he still get's blood on his clothes, wonders if this is why Kei prefers killing from a distance. Wonders if Kei's ever had to wash his clothes, soaked with blood that isn't his, blood that doesn't seem to want to come out. It's one of the things Tetsurou will not miss.

They move. Quiet, but fast, ready to finish their job. Tetsurou stops to listen just before he reaches the target. Kei uses their signal, simple, easy to mistake it for nature itself but Tetsurou knows.

"Good evening," he says to get the target's attention. Their campsite is bigger than they expected but it's nothing they can't take care of, Tetsurou takes a step closer and then he hears Kei's voice, loud and clear, screaming:

"No!" there's a sharp pain in his stomach. The first guards didn't struggle, the campsite was bigger than it was supposed to be. There was another guard and if Tetsurou hadn't been so focused on leaving Kei, he would have realized it. Before he passes out, falling hard on the ground, Tetsurou watches Kei shoot both of their enemy. They finished the job. With that thought, everything goes dark.

It's the first time he doesn't wake up to Kei in weeks. Instead, there's a woman he doesn't know and she's washing his wound. The water cold and dripping down his stomach, his mouth dry, his muscles aching, he tries to move. The woman looks at him and for a second, before she jumps up and runs out of the tent, he sees something in her eyes that he hasn't seen in a long time. Hope.

Tetsurou tries to sit up, to look around and he manages to do it for a second before he falls back down. He's in a tent, in a big one, in the kind of that you can stand it and his things, including his knives are in the corner by his feet. That means he's fine, means the people that took him here don't want him to die. Which is a relief. He looks up and wonders what is he doing there when someone walks into the tent. It's hurried steps, fast, loud. It's Kei.

"You're alive," he says, his voice breaking, desperate, upset, Tetsurou tries to lift his head and there's hands holding him, helping until he sits up in a way that he can see Kei's face but he doesn't want to look. Instead, he watches his hands, fingers curling anxiously at Kei's waist, dirty and scarred.

"Where are we?" Tetsurou asks, his voice raspy, as if it's not his, throat hurting. Kei doesn't answer.

"I thought you wouldn't wake up, I thought you..." he sighs, falls to his knees so that Tetsurou's forced to look at his face. "I'm so glad you're fine."

Kei's eyes are red, tired, wet. He's crying and Tetsurou would like to pretend it's because Kei really is glad, but he knows him too well. Kei cries when he hasn't slept in a long time.

"Did you get the bounty?" he asks, tearing his eyes away from Kei's face, looking at his shoulder, at the opening to the tent, where the sun reaches the ground through it, at the blade of his knife.

"The-" Kei stands up, suddenly. "You almost died!" he yells. "Do you really only care about gold and..." he sighs. "Why?"

"The gold's what I need to get out of this. I wouldn't have almost died if I had a normal life," Tetsurou answers and Kei falls silent. He turns to leave, slowly, Tetsurou watches his back and then closes his eyes, it hurts.

"I got the bounty," Kei answers as he reaches the opening of the tent. "Your share is with your clothes."

Tetsurou wants to ask what's next, where they are, wants to ask for food, for water, wants to ask Kei to stay but he has already left the tent. Tetsurou falls back, he's tired. He's always tired. He decides to sleep. Or, his body decides for him, his eyelids already heavy.

Three nights after he wakes up, he catches the woman that he saw taking care of him again. This time she doesn't jump up, doesn't run away.

"Where am I?" he asks, quietly.

"We were the ones paying the bounty," she answers him, her hands warm on his skin where's she's wrapping his stomach with cloth. "You're badly hurt," She says when he tries to move.

"And you were so kind as to take us in?" he asks. "To care after me?"

"Oh, no," she chuckles. "Your partner promised to work for us as long as we help you recover." It's only now that Tetsurou notices it's dark, the only light in the tent coming from candles lit on the ground.

"And now?" Tetsurou asks, trying not to show his worry in his voice. "Is he working now?"

"No," she whispers kindly. "He doesn't kill for us. He hunts, like other men here. They're back by now."

"So where is he?" Tetsurou asks, she finishes with his wound but doesn't move her hands away.

"With the chief's daughter, most likely," she tells him. "I think he wants to marry her, or lay with her at least."

Tetsurou feels like throwing up, he would throw up if he had a full stomach. Her hands move up his skin.

"I would like to lay with you, too," she mutters, not looking at him. "When you get well." In a moment of heartache, desperate pain and feeling like Kei has betrayed him, Tetsurou nods at her and doesn't say anything when she leans down to kiss his chest. Then, she blows out the candles and leaves. Tetsurou thinks about how he doesn't want this at all but he knows now he won't settle down with Kei and he doesn't have anyone else.

Four more nights pass until he can leave the tent and the people treat him like one of their own, throw him a feast. Tetsurou watches Kei across the fire, sitting with a woman that's more beautiful than any woman Tetsurou has ever seen.

"A good partner you have," The chief says, sitting down next to Tetsurou. He shoves food and drink into Tetsurou's hands. "My daughter fancies him so the sooner you leave, the better." Tetsurou looks at him, confused and the chief looks back. "I can't have my daughter marrying an assassin and no offence to your kind but you are not people who settle down and make a family." Tetsurou looks back at Kei, his face covered in fire light. They're not, he's not supposed to want this.

"Now, I am an honorable man," the chief continues. "And I will not kill him for finding my daughter beautiful, I will not rob you of the gold we gave you either but a man can get angry if someone is using his riches and his daughter without his permission." He puts his hand on Tetsurou's shoulder. "So get your horses and your friend, and leave before he does something I will not tolerate."

"Thank you for warning me," Tetsurou says and watches the chief walk away. He eats the food and tries to drown his anxiety with the drink he got. Tetsurou doesn't know if Kei will listen to what he has to say and it scares him.

The whole evening Tetsurou waits for a chance to catch Kei alone. It's hard, the chief's daughter never leaving his side and Tetsurou has almost given up when Kei catches his gaze across the fire, whispers something to the woman and stands up. He walks over to Tetsurou and Tetsurou stands up, stumbles and has Kei hold him up.

"We need to talk," he says, quietly. Kei leads him away from the fire, the chatter and laughter, away from everyone. They walk until it's hard to make anything out and Tetsurou's body aches again. Kei sits him down on the grass and sits down next to him.

"Are you going to tell me you want to stay here?" Kei asks, his face turned to where they can still see the fire.

"What?" Tetsurou asks surprised and then shakes his head. "No, we need to leave. Tonight."

"We can't leave tonight." Kei turns back to him and in the darkness Tetsurou can't make out his face but he's sure Kei can see his. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. Kei wants to stay, just as he thought.

"I know you like the chief's daughter but he doesn't want you to marry her because..." Tetsurou doesn't want to tell him, afraid that if Kei knows it's because he's an assassin, Kei will decide to stay, to settle down, to do what Tetsurou wanted to just weeks ago. Tetsurou allows himself selfishness. "He might kill you if you stay."

"You can't leave," Kei tells him. Tetsurou opens his eyes but watches, the flame far from them. "You haven't fully recovered yet." Tetsurou knows it's an excuse to stay with the chief's daughter.

"So would you rather die?" Tetsurou asks, angry. "We have to leave."

Kei stays quiet for a moment, as if considering it which makes Tetsurou even angrier, if Kei dies, just because he wants a woman Tetsurou will-

"Fine." Kei stands up and helps Tetsurou stand up as well. "I'll walk you to the horses and you wait there until I get our stuff, got it?" he asks. Tetsurou nods, then realizes Kei can't see it in the dark and clears his throat.

"Yes," he says.

Tetsurou's happy to see his horse again and for a bit he forgets they're running away. By the time he remembers, Tetsurou realizes Kei is taking too long and it makes his heart beat faster. He thinks about Kei deciding to lay with the chief's daughter just before he leaves and fear fills him, the image of the chief finding them and killing Kei on his mind. But worse than that, he also feels jealousy, sees Kei in her, with her, kissing her every time he closes his eyes. For a moment, he imagines himself in her place and feels disgusting but doesn't want his mind to stop. Thinking of this is better than thinking that Kei will be dead. 

He imagines his lips, pink and soft, his teeth on his skin, his tongue, his body pressed to Tetsurou, Kei moving, slowly and then faster, his nails digging into Tetsurou's back, Tetsurou's name leaving his lips with his breaths, Kei under him, Kei moaning, Kei-

There's a hand on his shoulder.

"Let's go," Kei whispers and Tetsurou lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding, turns to his horse. "No," Kei says, squeezing his shoulder. "You're not in the condition to ride on your own. We're sharing my horse."

Kei helps him get onto the horse and then jumps on himself. He makes Tetsurou hold onto his waist and it's the first time they've been so close, it makes Tetsurou feel hot where they're touching. Kei rides, Tetsurou's horse following right behind them. Tetsurou hasn't felt wind like this in so long he starts laughing, his body moving, and soon so does Kei. It feels right. 

They slow down when the campsite is no longer visible and now their horses are walking slowly. Maybe Kei doesn't want to rush in the dark, maybe he wants to enjoy this, Tetsurou hopes it's the later.

"I'm sorry you had to leave her," he says after awhile. "She really was beautiful."

"Who?" Kei asks, turns his horse to go to a narrow path.

"The chief's daughter," Tetsurou says, holds himself back from pressing his lips to Kei's shoulder.

"I don't care about her," Kei tells him. "I just didn't want to be rude to her." Tetsurou pulls away now, surprised.

"Why did you want to stay then?" he asks, confused, his words barely louder than the wind.

"I told you, you're injured," Kei answers. Tetsurou stays quiet for a moment and then:

"Why do you care about that? About me?"

"Because you're important," Kei says, his words harsher now but Tetsurou ignores it, presses closer to him.

"You're important, too," Tetsurou says, kisses Kei's shoulders through his shirt. Kei stops the horse and Tetsurou, afraid Kei will leave him there, opens his mouth to apologize but doesn't get a chance to.

"You said you wanted a wife," Kei mutters, more to himself than to Tetsurou. "Why are you-"

"I said I wanted to settle down," Tetsurou says, softly and then, as quiet as he can, he adds "With you."

Kei makes the horse walk again, doesn't say anything but he doesn't push Tetsurou away either so Tetsurou doesn't say anything either, just waits to see where Kei will take him.

They find a tavern, already empty but still open, with decent rooms. Kei walks Tetsurou to the room and lays him on one of the beds, then goes to pay. Tetsurou waits for him to come back with food but he doesn't, when he opens the door, he's standing there with no plates or cups.

"I hope you're not hungry," Kei says. "The cook said it's too late to be making anything."

"That's fine," Tetsurou tells him, watches Kei lock the door and walk across the room to the other bed, start to undress. He has his back to Tetsurou but it feels more open than before, as if Tetsurou's allowed to watch. 

It turns out he is because after Kei throws his clothes on the bed, now naked, instead of getting into it he moves to Tetsurou. His hands are cold and rough as they're taking off Tetsurou's shirt, but gentle whenever they near his wound.

Kei takes the rest of Tetsurou's clothes off faster, leans down to kiss his thighs.

"Have me," Tetsurou says, giving himself up, as he wanted for so long.

"Not today," Kei whispers, his hands on Tetsurou's stomach. "When you heal," he promises and then he lays down next to him, both naked. Kei rests his head on Tetsurou's shoulder. "When you're well enough," he whispers. "Marry me."

"No one will marry two men," Tetsurou says, even though the words hurt him.

"Then don't marry me in a church," Kei says, his arm placed carefully on Tetsurou's stomach. "Just promise you'll pledge me your truth."

"If you pledge me yours."

**Author's Note:**

> "I pledge you my truth" (or "I plight thee my troth") were used as weddings vows in the medieval times.


End file.
